I like to welcome both Francis what I was new Phil and Velasquez they will be
correspondents off in Bridget assigned to help cover some of the events and
happenings in our community and Francis how are you
a better example of writing but what I like about I like that this is made for
television France is you have an intensive background in journalism tell me more
about you well I'm
a connector Rican can I don't reckon Puerto Rican from Connecticut by way of oh by
way of real bad. I can see that was going from just.
Internal jokes anyway so yeah my background is in journalism and I spent the first
half of my career working for several newspapers in Connecticut as well as working
at Telemundo So for me you know being
a part of the community covering you know telling stories it's
a huge passion of mine and you know I just want to say you know if I can to our
viewers that whether you are you identify as Hispanic Latino or if you like to date
Latinas you have
a home here Adam but ever oh they love tales for that matter. Yes you call
opportunity here and there you go that's what we're like well I can't wait to hear
some stories or see some stories from new facts I know there's
a lot to tell yet so thank you and only I love Tell me
a little bit about you and welcome Well I am also I'm a misery can
a Missouri recant a misery Kenya for in Espanol OK so that's
a Puerto Rican from Missouri Yes born and raised Saint Louis is my home town grew
up here so how do you deal with rice and beans and toast that reveal these you
combine them both like tossed on us and tossed
a ravioli Astellas that isn't just this ravioli that I like I'm going to try to
write my life well of this thing that you. So tell me
a little bit about you so right now I'm the director of communications at the
A.C.L.U.
Of Missouri that's the American Civil Liberties Union and our mission is to defend
the Constitution and before that I worked as
a reporter both in Oregon and in Tallahassee in Tampa Florida so the common thread
is really my passion is telling stories and helping people understand what's
happening in the world and trying to do my little part to make the world
a better place and I think that we've got
a lot of stories that we're going to be hearing to our audience about the Latino
community and how much we all are contributing to make
a better place for everyone right exactly and I'm very excited to be able to do
this and be here well I'm looking forward to see some of your stories as well so
thank you for being here we're going to be right back with Jorge Leo better after
this short break.
There's
a shelter pet who wants to meet you meet one today this is the shelter pet project
dot org adopt. Welcome
back recently with this it it with Jorge to reopen that or who is the president of
Costa this allude And in case you're not familiar Custer is located in the
intersection of comfort and and Shoto here in St Louis provides health
services to our new American communities and also serves as
a cultural bridge for migrants seeking to assimilate and become members of our
community Jorge and I discuss the issues now faced by refugees and why it
is necessary for our communities to embrace and welcome immigrants to St Louis
Let's take a look welcome to em but I have
a and I'm so happy that you're here today without talking
a little bit about. You. Will get we'll brief history of course of the
salute and why is it so important to have services such as the ones that cast
a salute for your cause has alluded to we're in our eighth year now we are
providing health care for anyone who's uninsured although with
a focus on immigrants and refugees we provide basic health care at the clinic at
Hotel in Compton and then
a group of case managers works with people who need care for the specialty care to
connect them to that it's incredibly important because as we all know immigrants
and refugees make up
a vital part of any thriving metropolis they are good for the economy they're good
for the vibrancy and diversity of the region so if we're if we want to be
a great St Louis that immigrants are refugees are essential and if we want
immigrants and refugees to come and stay in St Louis we have to give them health
care and that is so important to you you're getting ready to expand or at least
that's the plan I certainly hope so we recognize that there is an enormous need for
mental health services for immigrants refugees so many of them have experienced
trauma and violence on their journey. He's to the United States which unfortunately
results of behavioral health problems and so we're trying very hard now to expand
our services into the adjacent building to where we are right now so that we can
specifically offer with our partners offer mental health services for these
immigrants and refugees that is so compelling How are you dealing with the current
situation with immigration and the new administration you know we're just we
provide health care we're not politicians so what we're doing is we are telling the
communities that we are serving we remain here for you we remain
a trusted and safe location where you can come to and get the services you need
what will shake out politically I don't think that anyone really knows what's going
to happen so right now we are simply trying to make sure that we know what our
rights are what the rights of our patients are so that we can comply with the law
but also defend the rights of our patients and besides that we're just providing
health care what's the biggest misconception that you think the non Hispanic a new
a new American communities have about you know those particular communities the
Hispanics on the new American I think without
a doubt from or from when I talk to people who are who are not well versed in these
in this issues is the idea that immigrants refugees are takers that's the way that
they're takers and that is so far from the truth as to be incredible right in fact
today and just using Germany's it as
a quick example Germany which is had this huge influx of immigrants forty four
percent of all new businesses being started in Germany are by immigrants so think
about that in this country where we have such more more dynamic of an economy where
we can really give people an opportunity to start their own businesses to really
make
a great economic contribution that's what immigrants and refugees do they are the
they are for the farthest thing from takers that you can imagine and have you seen
here in St Louis some examples that you can give us about the dynamic the guy now.
Make structure of the new American community what they're doing as an drippin or
something Well absolutely and just look down south grand looking Cherokee look at
Overland look at the businesses that have started up that are that are really
providing vitality in the same way the Bosnians did when they came to St Louis and
resettled as as refugees that that process continues the problem with St Louis is
that we are not allowing that process to person progress fast enough look at
Nashville Tennessee three hundred fifty percent growth in Hispanic population and
look how it has blossomed economically we're doing the same things that Louis but
a very sort of much smaller rate and we need to get get on our horse here and
really make it more welcoming for his for immigrants or refugees to come visit and
talking about whores you are
a member of the new American alliance right so tell us
a little bit about what that particular going to station is all about so the new
American alliance I want to make clear is not
a new organizations an umbrella because we don't need yet another nonprofit
organization so it's the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce the Asian Chamber of Commerce
the Mosaic Project and the International Institute all together saying we're not
just going to serve Hispanics or Asians or what have you we're going to work
together to pool our resources and pool our our our abilities and say we're going
to be here for immigrants and refugees of any of this city of any color of any
religion and so we're working together to try and do the best we can to when an
immigrant or
a refugee need services that we need to say where you can go get health care if
that's absolute we're going to say together we're going to tell you you can go get
job training at the International Institute you can get health care at Casa you can
get
a resume building over at the Asian Chamber of Commerce we're really working hard
to be welcoming to all of the refugees that are coming in to some of those I mean
that's still happening. So it's still happening but because of the issues and
actions taken at the federal level that number has
a has been drastically reduced. What that number is going to be we're not sure it
depends
a lot of what shakes out the next few weeks of the federal. Legislation and bills
and executive orders that are being tossed around we're going to play
a waiting game to see about that but in the meantime you're preparing yourself for
future growth we have many with the expansion and you're doing several events and
things like Tell me about what you're doing we are we deal with because if we
position if we just go well we give up that's not taking us anywhere and then of
course on May the six It is our Again I'm Festival our so called local. It's our
game where we transform a ball room into
a Latin town square OK with musicians and artists and performers and food are all
being thrown together in just a tremendous celebration and then we have
a formal sit down dinner where we give awards to people who have really been
instrumental for helping immigrants or refugees with health here in Salem So as I
remember going to go and I had
a great great time there the food is excellent the party is on and there are the
years and then when you start some use. And if somebody and I know that we're going
to have that information but if somebody wants to contribute they want to be
a volunteer is that easy to do yes I go to the what go to the website that you can
get all the information there. That S.T.L.
Dot org And that will take you to everywhere you want to go Well listen good luck
congratulations I probably have to do some solace of dancing so go low go drink
some German beer everybody. Does really appreciate you being here today
and good luck our correspondent Francis more on this new film recently visited with
Sicilian. Productions to talk about the importance of Hong Kong.
For many people frustrated by the White House's recent executive orders on
immigration and the Muslim ban demonstrations. Become
a weekly thing to do these days we could all use
a hug. I think it just goes to show you how divisive.
The Trump presidency has been so far yes. It is very scary but things like this
feel positive and
a way to. Manifest. All that fear into something positive. So
to offer comfort in a dull of heat on a productions recently organized
a Hugs rally and handed out more than seven hundred hugs on South Grand Boulevard.
Tell me
a little bit about this hug and rally well Huckins have been going on since two
thousand and four all over the world in Shanghai in Europe in twelve to fifteen
cities in the United States and basically each huggin has
a different slant most of the work that's been done has been just really acts of
kindness where people go out and spontaneously hug someone else just to say I care
about you because you're part of our community and this is
a simple message of engaging our community which is diverse and what we love so we
just want to spread love and not be. So how do you counteract the negative with the
possible impact. This is prayer with that's the
L.T.V. Yes. Well
a lot of hugging going on in France's embrace tell me
a little bit about what your take away from your interview with Cecilia Well you
know Cecilia told me that
a lot of people are afraid about the racial profiling especially in this political
climate and this comes right after the new administration President Trump has said
that he wants to use the National Guard to round up undocumented immigrants and
belittle Now imagine the level of anxiety that people have especially about the
uncertainty of their futures and where this country is going but what I find so
fascinating is that people like Cecilia are really using collective action to
counteract the negative with the positive very good and they're using love and hugs
so I could really use one right now OK Come on let me give you
a hug me the feel good thank you so much for that great interview and I know that
we got more coming from you so once again thank you for staying with us right here
and turning into
a member of it and we will see you on the next one at that up look the man.